James Morrow Event at Adventures in Crime & Space

Many of us attended the James Morrow appearance at Adventures in Crime & Space, which was cosponsored by FACT. We heard Mr. Morrow read excerpts from his current and upcoming books, and we were impressed by his wonderful “God voice.” After the reading he signed our copies of The Eternal Footman and his earlier books. Later we took him to dinner at Ninfa’s. We had a big crowd and everyone seemed to have a good time. Morrow was pleased to have so many dedicated and knowledgeable fans.

Distraction by Bruce Sterling

Bruce Sterling’s latest book drew a large crowd and mixed reactions. Eleven people attended the discussion. About half of us loved the book, a fourth of us liked it, and the rest hated it with a passion. Details will be provided below.

First, let’s provide a brief rundown of Distraction. This basic plot is a near-future story about a recently-elected Senator’s campaign staff getting tangled up in a political situation in East Texas involving the governor of Louisiana, a rogue Air Force base, and a national lab that clones extinct animals. Sterling uses this plot

Newton’s Cannon by J. Gregory Keyes

Nine people turned up for the discussion of Newton’s Cannon. Among the attendees were two first-time visitors who had recently moved to town and were interested in meeting local fans.

Newton’s Cannon is an “alternate science” novel that deviates from our own history when Sir Isaac Newton makes a breakthrough in alchemy in the late 1600s. This discovery yields rapid advances in tchnology and many social changes. The main story takes place mostly in the early 1700s, with interweaving plot threads involving young Benjamin Franklin, Louis XIV, Blackbeard the pirate, a great war between England and France, strange devices, angels, powerful